1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural harvesting machines, and more particularly to a shaker harvester for citrus, nut or other trees having a uniquely designed moveable overhead carriage assembly that allows the harvesting of crops to take place from one side of a tree.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that many agricultural orchard crops, particularly those having durable exterior surfaces such as nuts and citrus, can be efficiently harvested by shaking the trees in which the crop is borne. As a result, numerous shaker harvesters have been developed over the years to shake such crops from trees. A typical shaker harvester includes a vibration inducing mechanism that can be temporarily anchored or attached to the trunk of the tree. Operating the mechanism shakes the tree thereby dislodging the crops borne in the upper branches. At harvest time, a typical shaker harvester is moved throughout the orchard from tree to tree to shake loose the crop.
For lighter crops such as nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) the crop may be shaken onto the bare ground surrounding the trees that has been specially prepared by leveling, drying and elimination of weeds. Then, a vacuum harvesting machine follows which vacuums up the crop from the ground. Thus, two different machines are required to remove the crop from the orchard. A separating device is then used to separate and remove any rocks, twigs or other debris picked up by the vacuum along with the crop.
For heavier crops such as citrus, workers may be employed to pick up the dislodged fruit. However, this method is labor intensive and time consuming, and potentially more expensive than using a vacuum. In some instances, fabric sheeting is placed on the ground surrounding the tree so that the crop that is shaken loose lands on the sheeting. The crop-laden sheets are then removed and the crop deposited in collection bins. However, this is still labor intensive, time consuming, and expensive. In addition, a separating device may still be required to remove any twigs or other debris that falls onto the sheets along with the crop.
A conventional method for harvesting citrus crops is to provide a shaker apparatus on one side of the tree and a receiver apparatus on the other side. Both the shaker and the receiver machines have fruit collection panels which are inserted under the tree and which engage each other. The shaker then shakes the tree, dislodging the crops that fall onto the collection panels and are removed using conveyers on the receiver machine. Of course, this method requires two machines: a shaker and a receiver, with each machine traveling down one side of the row of trees as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,469,695 and 5,816,037 as well as 3,775,954. Lining up and engaging the fruit collection panels of each of the dual machines under each tree is difficult and time consuming, and if not done properly can result in the dislodged crop landing on the ground. This problem has been addressed to some extent by connecting the shaker and receiver machines to a common straddling frame as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,310, or by using a common frame as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,004. However, with or without a frame, operation of the dual machines must still be carefully coordinated or dislodged fruit will be lost. Some harvesters combine the two machines into a single large apparatus that straddles the row with massive supports that travel down both sides of the row, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,286,426 and 5,921,074. However, these machines still require support on both sides of the row.
Importantly, if one side of the row is impassable, such as when it is a ditch, cliff, embankment or fence, then none of the dual support harvesting machines can be used.
The harvesters of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,123,238 and 5,191,758 address this problem to some extent, providing a harvester that may be brought in from one side of a row that has a fruit-catching platform in the form of a collapsible bowl. The bowl is opened to surround the tree from the bottom during harvesting, and then closed as the unit travels from tree to tree. However, both of these harvesters are large and both require considerable zigzag-type maneuvering for proper positioning from tree to tree, making them clumsy to use and unsuitable for use in orchards where the rows of trees are close together.
It is therefore desirable to provide a shaker-type tree harvesting machine in a single unit that is capable of traveling in a narrow space between rows of trees and which is capable of harvesting all of the fruit of a given tree from one side of the tree.
The present invention is a single-unit shaker-type tree-harvesting machine designed to travel down one side of a row of trees in order to harvest all of the crop therefrom. The main section of the machine is mounted on a wheel-based chassis that supports a laterally disposed shaker and an angled catch frame together with conveyors for removing harvested crops (e.g. citrus, nuts, etc.). The shaker and catch frame are driven into very close proximity with a tree so that the shaker can be attached to the trunk, with the catch frame below the branches on one side of the tree (the near side). Also mounted on the chassis is an adjustable overhead support to which a hingedly mounted carriage structure is attached. The carriage structure extends down from the overhead support and includes a hingedly attached oppositely angled lower catch frame. The adjustable overhead support is designed to be raised higher than the top of a tree, with the hinged carriage extending over the top of the tree and down the opposite side. The catch frame at the bottom of the carriage extends below the tree branches on the opposite (far) side of the tree, and attaches near the chassis-mounted catch frame, leaving a central gap below which a deflection panel is provided. The catch frames form a structure having a cross-section in the shape of a wide modified V below the tree branches. Shaking the tree dislodges the crops that fall into the V-shaped catch frame structure where they are funneled onto the central deflection panel and then conveyed away from the harvester.
The overhead structure is vertically adjustable using telescoping or otherwise extendable members. The upper portion of the overhead structure is also horizontally adjustable using similar telescoping or extendable members, allowing it to be adjusted for trees of different heights and widths. The carriage is hingedly attached to the upper portion of the overhead structure. The hinges on the carriage and associated catch frame allow the carriage and catch frame to swing in and out as the harvester travels from tree to tree. When the carriage swings in, the panels of the near and far side catch frames meet or inter-engage so that there is no gap to avoid loss of dislodged crops. This engagement forms the V-shaped structure of the complete catch frame. The crops collect in the catch frame panels and are removed by conveyors on the shaker side. When the shaking is complete, the frames disengage, the carriage swings out, the shaker is retracted and the unit moves to the next tree. At the next tree, the shaker is again attached to the trunk, the carriage swings in, the catch frames are engaged, and the harvesting process repeats. Thus, each tree in a row may be completely harvested from one side of the row.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine that is capable of harvesting citrus, nut or other trees from only one side of a row, allowing trees along ditches or embankments to be mechanically harvested.
It is also a primary object of the present invention to provide a shaker harvester for citrus or nut trees that is capable of traveling down narrow spaces between rows of trees in an orchard while harvesting such trees from only one side of a row.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a shaker harvester designed to travel down one side of a row of trees in an orchard, the harvester having a laterally disposed shaking device, a first laterally disposed crop catching panel, and an overhead structure supporting a swingable carriage and a second crop catching panel, the second panel being designed to engage near the first panel when the carriage swings in so as to form a receptacle to catch all of the crops shaken from a tree.
It is another important object of the present invention to provide a tree shaking harvester on a wheel-based chassis that supports a near side catch frame and an adjustable overhead support for a swingable carriage attached to a far side catch frame, such that when the carriage swings in, the near and far side catch frames meet above a lower deflection panel thereby surrounding the base of the tree in order to catch and collect the crops shaken loose from the tree.
Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptions and the claims herein.